EXCLUSIVE – Former Bond villain Robert Davi was concerned about the future of the 007 franchise even before the bombshell news it would be leaving the hands of a family dynasty.
For decades, the James Bond franchise has been under the creative control of the Broccoli family, first under Albert Romolo Broccoli, nicknamed “Cubby,” and co-producer Harry Saltzman. It then fell under the care of his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and his stepson, Michael G. Wilson.
But on Thursday, the entertainment world was rocked by the news that they’d be giving the reins to Amazon MGM studios. Now, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The three parties will remain co-owners of the iconic franchise, but Amazon MGM will have creative control, Variety reported.
Since Daniel Craig officially hung up his hat as Bond with his final film, “No Time to Die,” there has been constant chatter about what direction the franchise will be taking next. Rumors have swirled that there could even be a female Bond or a gay Bond for the next installment.
Robert Davi poses for a portrait at his home in June 1993 in Los Angeles, California. ((Photo by Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty Images))
Davi, who played the Bond villain Franz Sanchez in “Licence to Kill,” recalled having a close relationship with “Cubby” and his wife Dana, and weighed in on where the franchise is headed in comments made before the Amazon announcement, admitting he’s concerned that Bond may go “woke.”
“I hope it doesn’t,” Davi, an outspoken conservative, told Fox News Digital. “You know, I was very close to ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and his wife, Dana, and the legacy… And they were, as far as I’m concerned, they were Ronald Reagan conservatives and wonderful people. And you know, I think if we succumb to every fad – especially one that’s not based on total science – it’s a little frightening.”
Davi said a simple solution would be to create a whole new character, instead of completely changing the lead fans have come to know and love as the masculine and woman-chasing 007.
Craig first starred as Bond in “Casino Royale.” (Greg Williams)
“And I think they should keep certain things, create a different character, I would say,” he continued. “Create a different character. Have somebody – not Ian Fleming – have someone else write a character that’s based on the current day and then separate that from Bond. But don’t try to, you know, reinvent. It’s nice to look at things through different eyes sometimes. Absolutely. In terms of stylistic, but not the very essence of its culture. And so that’s just my conservative point of view, or independent thinking conservative point of view.”
Davi isn’t the only person in the Bond family to resist such potential changes. In an interview with The Times, British actress Gemma Arterton eschewed the idea of a female 007.
Arterton played British agent Strawberry Fields in the 2008 Bond film “Quantum of Solace.” She said Hollywood should respect the character’s legacy.
“Sometimes you just have to respect the tradition,” she said.
“Isn’t a female James Bond like Mary Poppins being played by a man?” she wondered. “They talk about it, but I think people would find it too outrageous.”
FORMER BOND GIRL TRASHES IDEA OF FEMALE JAMES BOND: ‘LIKE MARY POPPINS BEING PLAYED BY A MAN’
“Bond” producer Barbara Broccoli has given the creative reins to Amazon MGM Studios. (Getty Images)
NY Post writer Johnny Oleksinski reacted to Amazon MGM Studios news in a blunt op-ed, declaring it would be the “death” of the Bond brand.
“Many of them are exceptional and some were fumbled (cough, ‘Quantum of Solace,’ cough), but all were made with the care and consideration of children with a father’s legacy in mind. That’s over,” he wrote.
Amazon, he suggested, will pump out as much content as they can to the detriment of quality now that it’s left the family business.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Amazon MGM Studios for comment.
Another former Bond actress, Valerie Leon, who appeared in the Bond films “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Never Say Never Again,” with Roger Moore and Sean Connery, respectively, was also upset at the news.
“I think it’s madness, absolute madness,” Leon told “Good Morning Britain” during a Friday interview, adding, “I really think it’s very sad that Amazon are doing this.”
“I just – the Bond franchise was very British, and it won’t be anymore,” she later noted.
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Given the news, the gap between “No Time To Die” and the next film could break the six-year record for the longest period between Bond releases, the BBC noted.
Fox News’ Scott Whitlock, Alexander Hall and Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.